::READERS REVIEWS::

An admirer of S. Caudwell - As with the other reviewers, I found Ms. Caudwell's mysteries quite fun, tongue-in-cheek, sarcastic,as well as
well-plotted and well characterized. But it wasn't until the end of "The Sibyl in Her Grave" that I came upon some gorgeous lyrical writing that I hadn't encountered before in her writing. I had to keep my finger in place so I could go back and transcribe into a notebook. Also, Maurice's letter to Daphne is a classic; anything that starts out "It may seem unkind, some may even think ungrateful, but I am going to kill you," has to be good. Here's to hoping many others will discover her and keep her name alive. She deserves it in spades. Sarah Caudwell, here's to eternal life! I'm only sorry you didn't live to write many more.

The Hilary Question - There are only 4 Sarah Cauldwell novels. I had read them all when I came across a discussion about Hilary Tamar, the narrator. Is Hilary male or female? Read the books and see what you think.

Sue Stew - I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I will purchase the other three books that she wrote. The characters are fleshed out and likable, the plot is well thought out and not too easy to figure out. I actually read from beginning to end without just going to the end to read the "conclusion" like I do sometimes with a really plodding book. I would recommend this book.

How not to take life, death, sex or taxes too seriously - Well, I was never a barrister or law student, but I did go to Cambridge and did work in a large British company in London at a time before this wonderful tale was published, and I find the atmosphere of Caudwell's coterie at 62 New Square completely convincing! I remember Friday afternoons spent in the Group Head's office watching the Tests (that's cricket, for unenlightened souls) and the frequent leisurely lunches accompanied by ample wine. But our conversation was never quite as droll and crisp as that of Sarah Caudwell's characters, though we had our moments.

In other words, those who find the characters unconvincing are mistaken. They are indeed a world away from Boston or Texas, and this can either attract or repel according to your temperament. Another difference from an American mindset is the acknowledgment of sex as a pleasant pastime that can be pursued with equal zest by both sides - the friends at New Square happily follow Julia's ever-growing list of conquests (which have indeed previously included one of the group) with no sense of moral opprobrium.

Ah, Julia - what a wonderful portrait of a charming person quite unfitted to deal with the complexities of the modern age (Or perhaps of any age.) Her friends are concerned - from long experience - that she will be travelling to Venice alone, but one of them points out that the tours of the city will be made with a guide. Professor Tamar responds:

"..the qualities for a guide are not those of a nursemaid or a guardian of the mentally infirm. The poor fellow will take his eye off her for a moment and she will wander off. What then?"
"She will ask the way back to her hotel."
"She will have forgotten the name of her hotel."
"We have made her write it down on a piece of paper."
"She will have lost the piece of paper. She will find herself alone in a strange city. She will not know where she is or what she ought to do."
"The same thing," said Selena, "happens in London at least once a fortnight."

Another amusement - Caudwell, as an Oxford graduate, can't resist having her first-person narrator, also an Oxonian, poking fun at the ancient rival, Cambridge. One of the group, Cantrip - ah, suitable name - is a Cantabridgian and Caudwell has made him speak with lots of general British down-market slang, which the Professor believes must be the typical dialect of Cambridge, not recognizing it among his set of academic and legal acquaintances!

Others have outlined the plot, but the difference between this and the "typical" murder mystery is that the plot - though neat and suitably surprising at the end- is really the peg on which to hang the marvellous comedy of manners. Your enjoyment may vary, but Caudwell did her part, to perfection.

Hilarious British Mystery - Thus Was Adonis Murdered (1981) tells the story of young barrister Julia Larwood, who takes an Art Lover's Holiday tour of Italy in order to forget her troubles with the Inland Revenue. When the body of a fellow tourist, a handsome young Inland Revenue agent, is found with Julia's inscribed copy of the Finance Act, she is charged with the crime. Narrated by Hilary Tamar, a medieval law professor in Oxford, England, this witty and clever novel is a gem. Hilary's prose is relentlessly pedantic, "My hypothesis is a meretricious little thing, hired out to you, as it were, for half an hour's casual diversion...", and her portrayal of the other supporting characters is hilarious. This first of a 4-book series is highly recommended for readers who enjoy subtile plotting with a very English touch.

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